Article 38Inspection of Submitted Documents by Requestors for Review

①Until the procedures for proceedings are concluded pursuant to the provisions of Article 41, paragraph (1) or (2), a requestor for review or an intervenor may request a review officer the inspection of the submitted documents, etc. (meaning the documents stated in the items of Article 29, paragraph (4), or the documents or other objects submitted pursuant to the provisions of Article 32, paragraph (1) or (2), or Article 33; the same applies in the following paragraph) (for an electronic or magnetic record (a record made by an electronic method, a magnetic method, or other methods that cannot perceived by the human senses, which is used for information processing by computers; the same applies below), the inspection of a media that displays the matters recorded by the method specified by the reviewing agency), or the delivery of those documents or copies of those documents or a document stating the matters recorded in the electronic or magnetic record. In such a case, the review officer may not refuse the inspection or the delivery of the documents unless it is found that the inspection or the delivery is likely to harm the interest of a third party, or there are other legitimate grounds for refusal.

②When a review officer intends to enable the inspection under the provisions of the preceding paragraph or the delivery under the provisions of that paragraph, they must hear the opinions of the persons that have submitted the documents, etc. to be inspected or delivered; provided, however, that this does not apply if the review officer finds it unnecessary.

③The review officer may specify the date and the place for the inspection under the provisions of paragraph (1).

④A requestor for review or an intervenor that receives the delivery under the provisions of paragraph (1) must pay the fees specified by Cabinet Order within an amount not exceeding the actual cost, pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Order.

⑤When a review officer finds that there are financial difficulties or other specific reasons, the review officer may reduce the amount of the fees stated in the preceding paragraph or exempt the relevant person from paying the fees, pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Order.

⑥When an administrative agency that belongs to a local government (limited to a prefecture, municipality, and special ward, and an association of local governments; the same applies below) is the reviewing agency, in applying the provisions of the preceding two paragraphs, the term "Cabinet Order" in those provisions are deemed to be replaced with "Prefectural or Municipal Ordinance" and when an administrative agency that does not belong to the national government or a local government is the reviewing agency, in applying those provisions, the term "by Cabinet Order" in those provisions are deemed to be replaced with "by the reviewing agency".